Safety hitching device for vehicles drawn by horses.



D. A. GALLAWAY.

SAFETY HITGHING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES DRAWN BY HORSES APPLIQATION FILEDDEC. 6, 1907.

924,73 1 Patented June 15, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE nomns vsrzns cm, WASHINGIUN. u.

D. A. GALLAWAY. SAFETY HITGHING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES DRAWN BY HORSES.APPLICATION Hum mm. s, 1907.-

Patented June 15, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wznesses. [/2 2/19/2501". M 27212 12. .Qyr fl fi'gu.

DAVID ABRAM. OALLAWA Y, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO.

SAFETY HITCI-IING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES DRAWN BY HORSES.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID ABRAM GALLA- WAY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety HitchingDevices for Vehicles Drawn by Horses, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in safety hitching devices forvehicles drawn by horses, in which a ratchet that is secured to thespokes of one of the wheels of the vehicle carries a ring upon rollers;the said ring carrying a dog that is operative, by means of ropes orcords, to engage said ratchet in such manner as to cause the said ropesor cords to wind around parts of the hitching device and draw the linestraps, that are part of the harness attached to the horses, back andhold said line straps much the same as a driver does to hold a team; andthe objects of my invention are,-lirst, to provide an automatic meansfor drawing the line straps, attached to a team of horses, in a mannersimilar to that performed by a driver for the purpose of holding saidhorses from moving away from a desired location; and second, to providesuch safety hitching device to be applied to a wheel of a vehiclewithout alteration to said wheel; and third, to provide a safety meansfor hitching a team of horses in such manner that a backward movement ofthe vehicle will not draw the line straps and cause the team to back thevehicle. I attain these objects by the mechanisms illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of thewheel attachment of my invention apart from the wheel; and Fig. 2 is aside elevation of an express wagon with my invention shown thereon inposition to be operative to hold a team from moving forward; and Fig. 3is a perspective view of that part of my invention designed to guide andcentralize the line straps, and a portion of the line straps in pro erposition to be connected with the hitc 'ng device.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

By means of clips 2 which surround spokes in the wheel, the ratchet l issecured to the wheel, and rotates with it. The ring 5 is held on saidratchet, and is turnable thereon about rollers 3 which have flanges, orwashers, 4 to hold ring 5 in place; the rollers and Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed December 6, 1907.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Serial No. 405,364.

washers, or flanges, being held on ratchet 1. by rivets. The dog 6 ispivotally attached to ring 5 by pin 9 and the element 7 of the dogenters a notch 8 in ring 5 and extends across ratchet 1 in such mannerthat the notches of the ratchet will engage said. element 7 when thesame is seated in said notch 8 of ring 5. Notch 8 is provided tostrengthen element 7 when it engages a notch in the ratchet. The (log 6is provided with holes in which are attached ropes or cords 10 and 11.The cord 10 serves to pull element 7 into engagement with the notches ofthe ratchet, and cord 11 serves to pull said element free from saidnotches.

On the wagon, Fig. 2, the hook 14 is secured, and ring 13 is secured 011cord 11 in such manner that when ring 13 is hooked over hook 14 cord 11will pull element 7 of dog 6 free from engagement with ratchet 1, andthe vehicle may move forward or backward, since ring 5 is held quiet,while ratchet 1 may revolve with the wheel. A hook or snap 15 is securedto cord 10 and on the line straps the rings 16 are secured and toattach. my invention to be operative to hold the team from going forwardthe hook or snap 15 is hooked into said rings 16 of the line straps, andring 13 is disengaged from hook 1 1, whereupon cord 10 will pull element7 into engagement with ratchet 1 and a forward movement of the team willwind cords 10 and 11 around the outward extending rods 12, which aresecured to ratchet 1, and draw the line straps back and hold the team ina manner similar to the driver pulling the line straps.

The cords 10 and 11 may be attached between ring 1.3 and hook 15 in suchmanner that when hook 15 is attached to rings 16 the cord 11 will hangloose, and, conversely, when ring 13 is hooked over hook 14- line 10will hang loose, so that always the desired cord will pull on dog 6.

The line guide 17 is secured to the wagon bed near its front end and thelines 18 are placed one on each side of its middle prong and are thenhooked, by rings 16, in hook 15 of cord 10. The rings 16 being so placedon the line straps that the lines will pull equally. As the lines are atthe side of the vehicle when engaged with hook 15, one of rings 16 isset farther back so as to equalize the pull on the lines when pulled bycord 10 winding on ring 5. Prongs shown on 17 serve to cause the linesto pull evenly and hold the 3O ratchet wheel with antifriction rollers,a dog I team straight ahead with vehicle if team should attempt to turnto either side. It will be seen therefore that one ring 16 is setfarther back on its line strap than the other since the line straps areat the side of the wagon bed when hooked over hook 153 the lines beingadjusted to pull evenly when hooked to the cord 10, the prongs on 17serve to cause them to pull evenly on the team even if the team shouldturn to one side or the other in moving forward, and by this guide 17the team is prevented from being turned out of a straight course.

By the arrangement of dog 6 and ratchet 1, should the team back, ring 5would not turn with the wheel, thus obviating any danger of winding thelines taut when the team backs; but immediately on the team startingforward the ring 5, by means of dog 6 and ratchet 1, begins to wind upcord 10 and checks the team.

Having thus fully and accurately explained my invention what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a safety hitching device ofthe character described comprising a ratchet wheel attachable by clipsto spokes of wheel of vehicle, guide rods attached to said ratchetWheel, a rotatable ring attached on said and engaging element attachedto said ring and operative on said ratchet wheel, cords connected tosaid dog and engaging elements and operatively attachable to line strapsof harness of team, a hook on body of vehicle and ring on cordsattachable thereon, substantially as described.

2. In a safety hitching device of the character described comprising aratchet wheel attachable by clips to spokes of Wheel of vehicle, guiderods attached to said ratchet wheel, a rotatable ring attached on saidratchet wheel with antirfriction rollers, dog and engaging elementattached to said ring and operative on said ratchet wheel, cordsconnected to said dog and engaging elements and operatively attachableto line straps of harness of team, a hook on body of vehicle and ring oncords attachable thereon, a three prong line guide attached to the bodyof a vehicle through the prongs of which the lines of the harness on theteam operate when connected with said cords.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID ABRAM CALLAYVAY.

Witnesses:

LYMAN I. HENRY, S. MAU E ENGLE.

